Hidden Treasures
by Gyroscope
Summary: Deep in the core of their very hearts is a secret that could twist the relationship between two enemies.


"Name the first Storm Hawk that comes to your mind."

"Aerrow," he said, without hesitation.

The thin paintbrush of emotion dabbed a smirk onto her pale canvas. The slight upward crease of lips hid behind her shadowy veil, yet the effort to conceal it was betrayed by her sparkling eyes.

The Dark Ace cocked his head to the side and curiously peered at his Master. There she stood like a skeletal easel, with a cloak draped over her bony structure. Hints of flesh were exposed from the gloves and hood, but all other remained consumed in the darkness. To an untrained eye, she looked the same, but the Dark Ace knew otherwise. Yes, she did look slightly different…

"Is he the only one you think about?" Master Cyclonis asked.

The Dark Ace did not trust himself to answer. He would not lie to her face, yet he knew the truth would have consequences. He let out a small grumble and waited for the topic to pass.

Master Cyclonis does not let go so easily.

"Ah, silence. But should I read your lips… or your mind Dark Ace?"

"You should read neither, Master. You have witnessed the hostility between Aerrow and I. Seeing is believing. I only know hate for that Storm Hawk. And the rest of them for that matter," the Dark Ace immediately responded.

A rare chuckle escaped the young empress's throat. "No, Dark Ace, I did not intend anything… _inappropriate_. Nevertheless, your initial focus is on the wrong Storm Hawk. You should concentrate on another."

His dark eyebrows furrowed in confusion. "Another Storm Hawk? Aerrow is the right one, Master. He is the heart of that squadron, and to squeeze the life out of him means the destruction of them all."

Master Cyclonis hovered closer to her loyal servant. Purple met red as she looked up, her eyes squinting to read Dark Ace's expression. Cyclonis placed one petite finger on his chest plate; on the heart of their insignia; on the heart of the Dark Ace.

"I believe you are wrong. Like you said, seeing is believing and I have seen. I have seen the heart of the Storm Hawks. Crushing her is the only solution."

He was confused once again. "Her? As in that Piper? But she's… she's…"

"She is the strongest, the most skilled, the most talented…"

"She's… a girl."

That placed finger turned into a palm as Master Cyclonis, with all her crystal power, pushed the Dark Ace into the dark ebony doors. The Talon Commander's back collided with a crash, and pain resonated like an echo through his limbs and bones. He bit his lip from the injury, but kept his head down, hoping that Master Cyclonis would not see his agony.

"What do you mean by 'She's a girl'?" Cyclonis hissed as her footsteps echoed closer to him. "Can't a girl be powerful too?" Her hand glowed purple as she prepared a crystal blast. "TELL ME!"

"Master, I beg for forgiveness. Those words... You are the most powerful empress there is, and no one can match your power," The Dark Ace mumbled in his awkward position. He rearranged himself and bent his knee for her, bowing solemnly. "I am always your loyal servant, Master Cyclonis."

A brief smirk flitted across her pale lips. The purple glow dimmed and she bent down and tickled his ear with her dark, whispery words. "You swore an oath to me, do you remember Dark Ace? Remember when you were chosen _as my champion_? You will be my servant _forever_."

The Dark Ace was still kneeling as he watched her thin figure turn and float elegantly towards the spidery machine. It roared to life and the arms stood erect, gleaming with dark contempt. Like a ripple of water, the arms suddenly moved, grabbing multiple crystals and placing them inside. He was hypnotised with the blur of reds, greens, yellows and purples against the rush of the black, metallic arms. The clicking and whirring grew into a crescendo, leaping to louder chords, the sound erupting… Then suddenly the room became silent, as if all the noise on Atmos had simply vanished.

Cyclonis's slightly bent her neck towards the keys and stroked them with her fingers.

"You will do a task."

"Yes, whatever it may be, it shall succeed."

"You must succeed."

"For you, Master, I will."

A pause.

A hesitation.

An intake of breath.

Her hood unfurled into a pointed mane, revealing a pale, haggard face of a young girl. She blinked slowly and it seemed she was going to shed one, yet her strength held it back. Sighing, Cyclonis whispered the order towards her machine, not daring to show the Dark Ace her emotions.

"Bring… bring me Piper."

* * *

The bonds embraced her tightly, digging into her flesh and mercilessly gnawing away the skin. Pink lacerated her tanned arms as she twisted, with small grunts escaping her mouth. Her struggling was painful, yet sitting still hurt her more so. She was a Storm Hawk, and she would always fight.

He smirked. Her mindset was stubborn and foolish. Much expected from one of those brats.

"Let me go!" Piper yelled, the sweat glistening from her furrowed brow. She twisted again in vain. "Let me go!"

His tall figure swooped down next to the struggling girl, his back bent and head aligned with her shoulder. He placed his hands behind his back as he sighed, waiting for Master Cyclonis to appear and take responsibility of this tedious prisoner.

Piper stopped struggling when she felt his hot breath tickling her skin. Her heart thumped as he invaded her personal bubble, but Piper frowned to hide her fear. _I will not show weakness._

"Do you really think I would just let you go like that? Your pathetic screams aren't going to bring your boyfriend here," the Dark Ace whispered, his voice delicately balancing on threatening and alluring. "Stop wasting your effort, _darling_,"

His voice made her jump, but Piper maintained her composure. _I will not show weakness._

"They will come. I know they will," she said with such determination that it made the Dark Ace smirk.

"Oh, will they now?" he questioned as he straightened his back and walked forward. "Let's time how long it will take."

"My friends will come soon enough!" Piper shouted, "That is what friends are for!"

"_She is definitely the most boring hostage I've ever had_,"the Dark Ace thought, "_Should have kidnapped Aerrow instead_."

"Let me go or else!" Piper's whingey voice shouted again, her voice rebounding off the walls.

Something in Dark Ace's mind clicked, angering him to the core. Turning swiftly around, he slammed his hands on the armrests of the chair, his face dangerously close to Piper's. She quickly recoiled back into her seat, those amber eyes widening.

"Or else what?" the Dark Ace hissed, "Are you going to threaten my life? You are pathetic."

"No, but I'm going to do this."

Piper's leg darted out and kicked him squarely into the groin.

The Dark Ace roared as he bent over, trying to recover from the pain. A smile flickered onto Piper's face as she felt some victory surge through her body. Playing the "annoying mistress in distress" clearly paid off.

"You, you…!" he cut off his sentence with a burst of outrage as he drew out his sword and pointed it to Piper.

"My face will be the last you would ever see, _Piper_. Say hello to my friend, Death. Like you said, friends would come soon enough," the Dark Ace mocked as he raised his sword and slammed it down towards the Storm Hawk.

_CRACK!_

The Dark Ace had cleanly cut through… the chair, freeing Piper. At the last second, she had leaned to the side, so the blade hit the toppling chair instead.

"So, what were you saying about your friend?" Piper said, holding a Sky Fu position.

The Dark Ace roared in anger and ran towards the Storm Hawk, brandishing his sword.

* * *

From the shadows, Master Cyclonis watched the events unfold. This was perfect.

A sudden pang of agony cut through her stomach, yet she held her posture like any empress would.

No one would know.

_I will not show weakness._

* * *

_A/N: Hmm, this is a bit rough, but I want to see who likes the idea so far._


End file.
